The Masquerade
by cherry valence
Summary: There's danger afoot, and tonight everyone has a second identity. Halloween isn't without its usual share of shocks and twists in Starling City. Set during season 1, and featuring Zatanna Zatara.
1. Secret

**The Masquerade **

_Secret_

. . .

Summary: There's danger afoot, and tonight everyone has a second identity. Halloween isn't without its usual share of shocks and twists in Starling City. Set during season 1, and featuring Zatanna Zatara.

Note: Well, it started out as a short Halloween party story, and then I can't really account for how it went amiss from there. I should have known better than to promise it would be up by Halloween, but I promise hope that my Thanksgiving story will be more prompt. Um… I made some character concessions and yes, I might have tweaked Zatanna a little bit, but… *shrugs* I'm not a purist. Also, it was going to be a one-shot, but it seemed outright obscene to post this in one chapter, and obnoxiously harder to read. So considering that it's clocking in around 25,000 words…3 parts? I'm not wrapping up the ending this week. This should also be considered AU, I suppose because I pretty much just ignored the fact that Tommy/Laurel ever existed just for the purpose of the story.

. . .

"Zatanna Zatara?" Tommy raised an eyebrow as he glanced the theatrical looking business card over. It was composed of a heavy black cardstock, embossed with some sort of strange insignia and her name in a swirly type, followed in smaller letters by her title, Mistress of Magic.

The last time he was face to face with a mistress it had involved a little more leather, and a significant amount of alcohol. She also didn't look like any magician he'd ever seen before.

"That's an unusual name." He told her, as he handed the card back and gestured for her to take a seat in his office.

_But he'd heard it before, he knew he had—that part was gnawing at him. And she came incredibly highly recommended._

"Sorry it's so chaotic, you know how it is….hours before the big event and everything starts to unravel now."

Not only had he lost his entertainment for the event at three AM, with a call from Penn and Teller—or…was it Penn _or_ Teller, he wasn't certain. Whichever one of the duo could talk informed him that due to mystical events that were far beyond the reach of their control they would no longer be able to take on the masquerade ball—which they'd only done every year for the last seven—and they wished him the best of luck, before suggesting that they try with Zatanna.

No, he'd also lost his date for the night. Halloween was not turning up all aces for him this year.

"It's a little bit like the pot calling the kettle black, don't you think, Mr. Merlyn?" Zatanna asked, slowly crossing her trim, fishnet clad legs.

He chuckled, "Well, you're quick with your tongue, you'll need it with this crowd, I think."

God no, not like any magician he'd ever seen before. _As a matter of fact,_ he thought, his eyes skimming the length of the short black shorts, and crisp black lace shirt that was covered up with a suit jacket, and a smart white bow tie. Tommy thought that this looked like the sort of woman who could make card tricks suddenly appealing.

"Does it mean I have the job, Mr. Merlyn?" she asked in a coy tone, brushing her long, raven colored mess of curls from underneath the top hat that was perched on her head.

He needed a magician. It was always a cornerstone of the ball, and even if this girl was only marginally more than a stripper in a top hat, he was in hour zero, and she was the only game in town, or so it appeared.

"Shouldn't you show me a trick first?" Tommy asked, biting back a smile.

A slow smile crossed Zatanna's face.

"What sort of _trick_ would you like?" Zatanna slipped her hat from her head, "Would you like me to pull out a rabbit?"

"I'm not much for animals." Tommy said, leaning back in his chair and watching her with amusement. "Surprise me."

"That's a dangerous thing to say to a magician," Zatanna told him, as she stood up from the chair, and brandished her hand, before placing the hat back on her head.

"Nothing happened." Tommy said with a wry smile, as he decided that at the very least she'd prove he still had the ability to hire the prettiest, and most ineffective woman in the crowd.

At least he was still meeting people's expectations. He thought wryly.

"You think so?" Zatanna raised an eyebrow at him, and gestured behind his desk. "May I?"

_Well, he wasn't thinking of that sort of trick. He had Oliver had joked about needing and office for that, but…_

"Pull your mind from the gutter Mr. Merlyn," Zatanna said, over the sound of a thump in his desk. "I don't pull those kinds of tricks."

"I—I didn't even—" Tommy shook his head, embarrassed at having been caught by the young woman in his reverie.

"Yes, you did." Zatanna said, with a telling glimpse at him, before leaning over and pulling open the lowest door on his desk.

"I don't do 'ta-da'." Zatanna informed him as she gestured with her arm, "But you get the gist."

A small tawny bunny poked its head over the edge, sniffing the air with its whiskers trembling as it tried to scramble out.

"How the…how did you do that?" Tommy was stunned, unable to come up with a rational explanation for the way she'd magicked a rabbit into his desk.

"A magician, like a lady, never reveals all her secrets upon the first meeting." Zatanna said, rubbing the bunny behind his ears.

_What in the name of God was he supposed to do with this rabbit?_

Tommy ran his hand through his ear, unable to deny that if nothing else, she was good. Oliver wasn't going to believe this until he saw it with his own eyes.

"I'm not much for animals." Tommy said uneasily.

"Lucky for Penderghast I am." Zatanna scooped the rabbit up into her arms, "I'll be here at 8 pm sharp."

"That's uh…that's fine." Tommy still felt a little thrown by her confidence and also the—_how did she get a bunny in his desk? _ "Great…Uh, thank you. You're really talented."

At the door, Zatanna turned and smiled coyly,

"It's all in the blood, Mr. Merlyn."

As he watched the petite brunette slink out of his office, with the tails of the suit coat billowing out behind her, he could only shake his head. At least she wasn't going to be boring.

Actually, with the way his day was going, he could only imagine that not a second of the night was going to be less than eventful. He just wasn't sure yet if it would be manifesting itself in all good or all bad.

. . .

No one could accuse Tommy Merlyn of doing it halfway.

With a little nod, Oliver looked around the club; sequins, and silk, and velvet draping the walls and the industrialized modern design. The ceiling was filled with tiny lights, and a few ornate looking chandeliers that looked like something that might have been rescued from one of their parents' basements.

Thea hadn't been kidding when she'd compared the event to looking like a high class New Orleans brothel, and he had decided that he didn't want to know where his baby sister picked up such a comparison.

White netting tied large pools of purple, and silver, and black balloons to the ceiling, and Oliver was sure that Tommy had an appointed place and time for those. He obviously wasn't done though.

A few people loitered around the floor of the club working on decorations that littered the dance floor. Silver, reds, and purples seemed to be the colors of the day, and Oliver gave himself a mental kick for having forgotten before. The masquerade was always an incredibly big deal. The Merlyn family had always been noted—much like his own family—for their charitable contributions, but this ball was all Tommy.

While he'd been trying to figure out how to sneak Laurel past security for a romp in his bed, Tommy had turned his love for partying into one of the biggest charity events of the year. For as long as he could remember, his friend brushed it off as one more party…but that was Tommy. The good was always buried under decadence and liquor.

But Oliver knew that it wasn't just about the party, if only for this one night a year; it was about more than the biggest party in the town for Tommy. The free clinic in the Glades had been a cause that Rebecca Merlyn had lived and breathed by, and while Tommy didn't say a word about it, he'd apparently decided to commit himself to the same cause.

"So you're not uh…" Tommy nudged Oliver, and gestured to Felicity, who was rifling through her bag before leaving Verdant. "You two aren't…"

He busied himself with pulling bottles of champagne from the box as he waited for Oliver's answer, and Oliver stopped abruptly, whipping around to look his friend over—because _what was that_? It was like Tommy had just pulled that question out of nowhere.

It was _Felicity_; of course not. She was his friend.

"No." Oliver shook his head, wondering where Tommy was going with that. "No! Felicity? She's my friend. It would be like being with my sister."

"If you say so." Tommy said in a low voice, as he watched her with an interested look. "She's not your teenage sister though, you've noticed, right?"

"Oliver!" Felicity called, giving him little time to think about Tommy's words. "I'm going to go and-"

_All the better_. Oliver thought, this morning was getting too uncomfortable for him. He'd like to entirely forget that any of this conversation had been had. The last thing he wanted was for Felicity and Tommy…well, she wouldn't be interested anyways.

She just wasn't that sort of girl.

Felicity sighed, pushing the blonde waves off of her forehead and looking exasperated.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked her, eyebrow knitted together as he tried to puzzle through what could be wrong.

Everything was fine a moment ago when they'd left the basement.

"I forgot my tablet." Felicity sighed tiredly, glancing toward the staircase.

"I'll get it." Oliver said, tilting his head and gesturing toward the bar. "Why don't you have a drink before you leave?"

It had been a long day for her, he knew that she had come from Queen Consolidated straight here to help him. He was sure the thing she needed most was some sleep.

"The last thing that I need is alcohol." Felicity said with a laugh, "Thanks Oliver."

He hurried toward the basement, listening vaguely as Felicity engaged Tommy in some casual small talk about the party.

. . .

"So Felicity," Tommy Merlyn peeked his head over the pile of and black and purple balloons that partially eclipsed him from view behind the bar, with an impish smile that reminded her of a boy at play.

And a boy at play he might as well have been. Felicity tucked her blonde hair behind her ear, and turned her attention to him with a smile. There was an incredibly long sparkling garland of silver and purple draped around his shoulders like a scarf, and as he directed the decorating of his staff he looked like he was having a blast.

He was probably just one of those people, Felicity thought. It was hard to imagine him without a smile, he just seemed perpetually euphoric.

"Yes?" She tried to compose herself, wondering where he picked up such a character of child-like delight.

It seemed to contrast incredibly to Oliver's business first attitude, but she supposed she could attribute that to five years of deserted island living. Still…after burying herself in work, and more work, was it so wrong that she enjoyed a little bit of amusement?

Never mind the fact that a little bit of tall, dark, and handsome didn't hurt either.

"You don't uh…have any important meetings tonight, do you?" Tommy asked, jumping up from behind his fort of decorations and alcohol.

_Oh god. This wasn't happening, right? No. He wasn't actually doing something stark raving mad like asking her out, right? _

_Would Oliver be okay with that?_

Felicity cleared her throat quietly. _You're a grown up woman, act like it. And what the hell does Oliver have to do with it? _

"No, not at all. Oliver and I were catching up on some work, but he didn't need me anymore. I'm just going home for a quiet night in."

She shook her head, feeling like she probably looked like a lunatic. If she kept talking, she wouldn't need to worry about it. Once she started babbling there was no one who would want to take her out.

"Well, as usual, Oliver's loss is my gain." Tommy grinned, jumping over a pile of decorations that had yet to be hung and tugging Felicity toward the middle of the club by her hand.

"Um…thank you?" Felicity said, turning her head to the side and studying the grinning face and deciding that it was at least _meant_ as a compliment.

His delight was sort of dizzyingly intoxicating.

The center stage was filled with silver and purple balloons, and tinsel, and…Felicity had to say it looked like Tommy was planning the ball at Verdant to be one serious party. Faintly, sort of with a vague sense of the idea, Felicity thought about the unworn costume in the back of her closet. She'd bought it a few years ago with the best _intentions_ of going to a friend's party…but work called, and as usual she had answered.

"Okay…stay right here." Tommy situated her, placing her hands on her shoulders, and turning her slightly from the stage, then jumping back a few feet, holding his hands up in a motion to remind her not to move.

Well, it wasn't nerve-wracking at all. It wasn't like Carrie hadn't given her nightmares for three years, never mind the fact that nerdy blonde girls were not at the top of the school popularity ladder. Tommy Merlyn was definitely one of the popular kids.

"Oh wow…" Felicity laughed a little as she watched him, "So, this isn't the part of the movie where there the cool kids splash the not-cool kid with pig's blood, right?"

"Well, you need to rethink your definition of cool," Tommy said, with a skeptical shake of his head, "I missed something. You're no Carrie, I think you're more of a Sandy."

"Huh?" Felicity was trying to follow, but was sure she'd gotten lost along the way.

The last ten minutes of her morning had been utterly unreasonable to her. Oliver taking a break from work, the reprieve from the office, and now Tommy Merlyn seemed to be flirting with her. She made a note to turn on the news and make sure that the sky was still blue, and Elvis hadn't started cutting records again.

"_Grease_." Tommy said with a laugh, then glanced up into the rafters. "Okay, we're all set down here, Greg."

He gestured toward the ceiling, and Felicity shook her head, feeling a smile on the corner of her mouth as she watched him. Tommy had an infectious smile, and she couldn't help but want to join in on whatever this wild scheme was. She used to wonder how these women he was with in the magazines could be foolish enough to think anything would come from it when he traded them in sooner than the Starling Report could catch the name of his newest companion.

But she was getting it. She _got_ it.

"Look up." Tommy told her.

"Oh my god…" Felicity let out a laugh as the glittery confetti fell from the ceiling like snowflakes around her head. "Tommy, that's…"

Some of the glitter stuck to the palm of her hand, and she couldn't help but find it a little…special.

"I've been waiting for someone to come along and take it for a test ride." Tommy said, brushing some stray glitter out of his own hair. "I thought you'd like it."

"It's not every day the sky opens and rains glitter on my head." Felicity said, as Tommy plucked a few pieces of glitter from her hair.

"Yeah, it might take awhile to get rid of it all." Tommy chuckled, "It'll be even bigger tonight. You'll love it. All the proceeds are going to the free clinic in the Glades."

Felicity couldn't think of a subtle way to tell him that she hadn't exactly been planning on it. She wasn't even sure if Oliver was going…and more to the point, she didn't have an invitation, being that she was just a lowly IT girl.

Tommy had started walking back towards the bar when he turned to look at her again,

"You _are_ coming with Oliver tonight, aren't you?"

"No." Felicity shook her head.

Actually, she wasn't even sure that Oliver was going, but it didn't seem to be her place to say so.

"Are you coming with someone in particular?" Tommy asked, "Anyone I know?"

"I wasn't really planning—"

"Ah-ah…" Tommy shook his head and held his hand up. "Don't you dare, it's Halloween, Felicity. This is the one night of the year that we get to hide in plain sight. Don't tell me you're going to abandon the hottest ticket in Starling City this year."

"Well…" Felicity shrugged, "I do have a costume."

"Hey Felicity," Tommy's eyes sparkled as he looked her way, "I don't want to…get in the way with you and Oliver…"

"We're not like that." Felicity said quickly. "Um…we're just friends. We're friends."

"Oh. Great," Tommy said, a smile spreading across his face, "I know its pretty last minute, but…would `you want to go with me? I can promise you'll have a great time."

For a moment, Felicity was frozen. Sure, in her head she might have played out this scenario a million times with Oliver but she knew that it was not ever, ever going to happen—and now, a real date. He wasn't Oliver, but he also wasn't Tim the accountant from the fourteenth floor who chewed off all his fingernails.

Tommy was handsome, and charming and…well, he used to be rich, and you don't care about that anyway.

"Yes." Felicity said bluntly. "I'd love to."

. . .

Oliver was turning the corner, tablet in hand when he heard Tommy pose the question. He'd been expecting to hear her say no, that her card was full for the night so he didn't know how to react when he heard her agree to go with him.

As in, _on a date_? Oliver really wasn't sure how he felt about that.

He waited another moment, not wanting it to seem like he'd been listening, before walking back around the corner.

Felicity and Tommy hadn't exactly screamed love connection to him.

"Your tablet." Oliver said with a nod, handing it to her and noticing that the both of them seemed to be acting a little strange.

Was that going to be how it was?

One of the reasons he liked Felicity was that she was one of the few people he knew who didn't seem to feel any sway when it came to celebrity, or money.

No, he told himself, he was being unfair. Tommy was a good person, and his best friend…and Felicity was a good judge of character.

None of these points made him feel any better about the situation as Felicity took the tablet with a quick thank you, and slipped it into her bag.

"I'll call you." Oliver said, waving his hand goodbye, "Have a good night."

Felicity's cheeks turned pink, and he wondered if she would say anything about her new plans for the night, but she didn't.

"Have a good…?" Tommy uttered in a hushed tone, giving his best friend a look of incredulity. "What happened to you on that island?"

"Hey, Felicity! Felicity," Tommy nudged some stray balloons out of the way, before relieving the petite blonde of the oversize carryall bag. "You look like you've got your hands full. Let me walk you out to your car."

He glanced back to Oliver, beaming with pleasure,

"Besides, this is the Glades, you can't be too safe."

If he'd thought that she was in danger at all, he wouldn't allow her to come and go on her own. Oliver felt a twinge of annoyance, he was always careful to take care of her.

"Oh, you really don't have to, I mean…I'm fine." Felicity glanced away from him to Oliver and back, clearly looking for some sort of help with the situation. "Really, Tommy you've got your hands full."

Oliver pretended to be engrossed in looking at the bottles that Tommy had unpacked. They didn't honestly intend to play this as a charade, did they?

"It's the least I can do." Tommy said, throwing a look back to Oliver. "Besides, we can't just abandon the pretty girl to her own devices."

_If_ he didn't know better he would think that his best friend was hitting on his other friend, and if history had taught them anything it was that this was a situation that never ended well. "What party?"

As soon as the words had left his mouth, he remembered what he'd forgotten in the haze of Tommy and Felicity turning his life upside down.

"You know," Tommy said, "If we hadn't been best friends since we were four, I'd be offended—hurt that you would forget the Merlyn Masquerade, Oliver."

_Oh_, Oliver thought as it had slipped from his mind in the moment that this troubling question had started to unfurl in front of him. _Of course_. But this couldn't possibly be reality.

Tommy was his best friend, and Felicity wasn't…_I mean, she's my…she's just…_

Oliver stomached a sigh. It wasn't supposed to be that way.

"It's the biggest to-do in the city." Felicity said, crossing her arms as she looked between them. "You really didn't…"

Oliver looked her over pointedly, wondering how it couldn't occur to her that in the midst of trying to save the city, that a Halloween party had escaped his attention. Honestly, if it had occurred to him that she was in the least bit interested he would have brought her and made her happy while appeasing his mother.

"I was distracted."

Besides, Felicity wasn't even nearly Tommy's type. He liked tall brunettes, and Felicity wasn't either.

"That is no excuse to forget the one night of the year when we can all commit ourselves to being ridiculously opulent," Tommy glanced to Felicity with a playful twinkle in his eyes, "And the best part is, everyone is wearing a mask so you don't even have to worry about anyone finding out."

"It used to be an excuse for us to act as terrible as possible and not end up in the paper for our depravity." Oliver explained, feeling a twinge of jealousy as Felicity gave Tommy a sort of look he'd thought was reserved for him.

"Now, it merely remains as an excuse to put on a mask and shoot tequila on Halloween." Tommy grinned, shifting her bag on his shoulder. "I'll tell you all about it."

As Tommy rested his hand on Felicity's back to direct her past Oliver and out of the club toward her car, Oliver started to get a feeling about how this was going to play out. He didn't know what Tommy thought he was doing, but he couldn't possibly be thinking about dating Felicity.

_Well, why not? She's young, she's cute…perky…_

Oliver groaned, scrubbing his hand over his face as he tried to decide what to do about this. Weren't his hands already filled with trying to manage Thea and her boyfriend? He really couldn't cope with Tommy and Felicity dating.

_But that's not really why it is? He dated Laurel, you know he did._

And he got over it.

_This is different. She's your girl._

It's not even like Felicity would have been interested in some silly party like this, Oliver thought. It was nothing more than a bunch of the richest people in Starling City dressing up and getting drunk under the guise of charity. He could barely picture her running around in a mask and gown, never mind throwing back shots with Tommy.

She'd be bored, and go home early, wouldn't she?

Then again, he also couldn't think of the last woman that had really been inclined to tell Tommy no. This situation was not making him especially happy. They were all supposed to be taking the night off—he had pictured Felicity being tucked away safely at home while he suited up for a quick patrol before going home and listening to his mother berate him for avoiding her luncheon, and not making an appearance at the masquerade ball.

"Oliver!" Digg's voice boomed into the club as he walked in, the door slamming shut heavily behind him. "You'll never believe who I ran into in the lot."

With a roll of his eyes, Oliver turned to Digg, kicking some of the stray balloons out of the way. _Don't say it._

"You'd be surprised, my imagination has really been stretching its limits today, Digg." Oliver told him, making his way over to the bar to pour himself a scotch.

"So, I take it that you already saw Tommy and Felicity?" Diggle asked, with a sort of a chuckle. "She looked happy."

Oliver gritted his teeth, and took another drink of his scotch. _It was going to be one of those nights, wasn't it?_

"What are you doing here?" Oliver asked him.

"Oh, and he's such a friendly guy." Diggle shook his head, and slipped into a seat at the bar. "Why are you in such a mood? Great weather out there for Halloween—it'll be a nice night for trick-or-treating."

"I wouldn't know." Oliver said flatly, "I'll be at a party tonight."

"Don't sound so happy about it." Diggle remarked, with a chuckle. "Your mother asked you to confirm that you would be representing the family at the Halloween party weeks ago, and you told her you were busy."

"How do you even remember that?" Oliver asked him, pouring himself another fifth. "It's not that one anyways. I forgot about Tommy's masked ball until ten minutes ago when he brought it up. Luckily, I have an in with the host."

"Well, your mom will be happy." Diggle told him, "Have a drink for me. Carly and I are taking A.J. around the neighborhood."

"So, no chance of getting you in a mask?" Oliver asked.

Diggle laughed, "Not in this lifetime. Who's the lucky lady?"

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked, "I'm going because it's for charity. This is business, not pleasure Digg."

"Is anything for you?" Diggle sighed, and shook his head, "Have a good time, Oliver. Just give it a try. I also don't believe that there isn't a single woman that you can't phone for a date to a costume party."

_Not helping_. Oliver thought. His only female friend seemed to be taking another offer.

_You never offered._

"I don't need a date." He retorted with a stubborn edge to his voice.

"It's too bad that you didn't decide to go any sooner." Digg said, "You could have asked Felicity but I think you missed your chance."

"I have to go." Oliver pushed back his drink, and glanced back at Digg. "Hey, you never said why you're here, is everything okay?"

Diggle seemed to be wrestling with some sort of private joke as he smiled, "I was just in the neighborhood."

. . .

Booting out Penn and Teller was far from her biggest problem.

Zatanna sighed, adjusting her bow tie in front of the long mirror in her hotel room. Appearance was half the battle; just like her father said, _sell the magic_.

Those two so-called magicians, with their silly act and parlor tricks were easy enough to clear out of the way. She needed to hold up the promise that she'd made to her father though, and she needed into the club to do so.

Tracking the Wizard had led her to Starling City, and this Verdant club, and it was her duty to stop him and fulfil the promise she had made to her father. Cleaning up this mess wasn't going to be the easiest though, and her curiosity about this emerald archer had led her to hope he could help her.

Tommy Merlyn didn't look like much of a revolutionary, Zatanna thought, but then again she was the one whose business day frequently consisted of looking like a stripper so she wasn't exactly in a place to judge.

She wasn't supposed to jump to conclusions though. If she wanted to keep the promise she had made her father, she was going to need to be careful.

Oliver Queen seemed even more unlikely if it was possible, but…the magic was never wrong. The vigilante was close to Verdant.

The both of them still looked like the same trust fund playboys she remembered from when she was a girl, and they both were still oblivious.

Zatanna would watch, and observe the boys at the soiree, and if Tommy didn't pan out as anything special she'd take a look at the next culprit, Oliver. Besides, she had a little spell worked out to help lead her to the right man.

"I'll do whatever it takes." Zatanna whispered into the mirror, watching the picture of her father on the stand. "I won't let you down, dad."

She wouldn't get off track though, because the vigilante wasn't the only one hanging close to Verdant—she _was_ going to catch the Wizard with or without the vigilante archer.

The cursed wizard Franklin had skipped the trap her father had placed him in for the last century, and slipped her three times now. Even with her magic, she wasn't all powerful and he was far more learned than she was.

Each time, she'd gotten there too late, and he'd turned the victims into monsters that she couldn't always put right, not even with the magic she had at hand. She couldn't let him do this again. He had to be stopped, and trapped in a place where he could never be free to hurt people again.

His newest target to attack was Starling City, and this time she had a head start. She was going to be waiting for him, and with any sort of luck, she wouldn't be alone.

"Let's hope you're the hero that people seem to think you are, Hood." Zatanna placed the hat on her head, and nodded to the mirror. "I need all the hero in my life I can get."

. . .


	2. Pageantry

The Masquerade

_Pageantry _

. . .

Summary: There's danger afoot, and tonight everyone has a second identity. Halloween isn't without its usual share of shocks and twists in Starling City. Set during season 1, and featuring Zatanna Zatara.

Note: Thanks to everyone for reading, and alerting, and reviewing! It means a lot to know that people are reading and enjoying! I do have a second Halloween story, but I've decided to re-do it and re-post it as a regular story because I have my hands full as it is getting this posted and finished in a decent amount of time, along with updating _His Girl Friday_ and _More Interrupts Than Coitus_. I can't even speak about how overdue the next chapter of _Far From Paradise_ is…

Well, with any hope this story will be wrapped up by the end of the week, and I can be back to keeping HGF and MITC on schedule (If wishing made it so…)

XD

_[Re-uploaded with minor change at end...but I guess mistakes like this is what comes from editing at four am]_

. . .

Tommy was swept away shortly after they walked through the doors, apologizing profusely when he had to leave her and Felicity swept through the crowd absorbing the sights and sounds of the decadent party. The string quartet's music lent a spooky feel that resonated with Halloween night, and the low lighting gave an air of mystery to the masked ball.

No one was without a mask, and as Felicity kept her face covered, watching the others who milled about, and she thought about the sense of freedom that the mystery offered.

It felt like it was possible to be anyone tonight.

Felicity slipped through the crowd, only stopping when she saw the tall glass figure, reminding everyone that this night was about more than dipping a toe in the pool of hedonistic pleasure.

Looking the tall plaque, which read _The Rebecca Fund_; Felicity stopped, feeling emboldened by the disguise to stop and wonder. She knew that all the proceeds from this ball went to a free clinic in the Glades, and it was a big deal. People killed to try and get in; to attend a party that was hosted by Tommy Merlyn was the pinnacle of success in Starling City, apparently. She supposed that it must have said a lot that all these people still clamored to come to a party thrown by the Merlyn with no money.

And yet, he wasn't what she thought he was at the start—that was for sure.

Oliver had taught her this—that rarely, if ever were people who you first assumed they were. All afternoon shed been trying to decide who she thought Tommy was-handsome, heartbreaking charmer looking for a good time, or one more misunderstood golden boy.

_He was more than the sum of his parties_, this Felicity had already figured out for herself. She really had Oliver to thank for this.

"The Rebecca Fund." She mumbled under her breath. It even seemed mysterious, there was no information, just a note that all donations supported a clinic in the Glades. "Why does he even care?"

Not that it didn't seem like a really nice cause. She knew that preventative health care was something that people in Glades struggled with. Not too long ago Queen Consolidated had held a fundraiser for the hospital there. She stopped to wonder if Oliver knew how dedicated Walter was to charitable causes like that. _Had been_.

"It's a good question." Tommy said quietly, as he fell into step next to her.

Felicity let out a gasp, surprised and mortified as she turned on her heel and found Tommy in his crisp, dark blue suit, and gold mask that covered half of his face, standing beside her.

_Why did these things always happen to her?_

The rest of the people in the crowd seemed oblivious to the conversation that went on; music playing around them, and champagne poured freely loosening lips other than hers all the while. None of the chaos that raged on in the room consoled her in the least (except maybe for the woman who fell off the other end of her chair as she sat down—because it least it wasn't her), while Tommy's grey eyes sparkled tellingly behind the sumptuous mask that obscured most of his face.

And still, he didn't look any less handsome. Each time he smiled, she felt something drop in her stomach.

"No one's ever asked me that before." He said easily, gesturing to the statue, not looking the least bit offended by the question. "It looks a little pretentious, doesn't it? We put it up every year, but…it is a little much. She would have rolled her eyes and made fun of it herself."

"Oh…I—I didn't…" Felicity shook her head, just wishing that she could be the girl who wasn't looking like a babbling idiot.

Just once. Just once she would like to not sound like this. She wanted to be calm, together…collected. Felicity just wanted to be the sort of girl who looked like she belonged here, in the expensive dress, with the handsome boy; she wanted other people to be envious of her.

Well, she was half-way there. This dress had cost about a week's pay check when she had bought it at the theatre auction last year. Somehow, this night seemed to call for more than cat ears and a tail. It was probably also the only night in her life that this dress would be appropriate.

Unlike her mouth.

In her shame, she heard her mother's voice railing in her ear; demanding to know how such a girl raised by such a good mother could do this to her…

Felicity fumbled with the smooth handle of her mask, and it dropped from her hand. She gasped in surprise when Tommy caught it before it slipped to the floor. He was full of surprises.

"I'm sorry." Felicity cringed, trying to hide her face, and finding the mask to be a poor…well, mask for her ignominy. "It's not that…I didn't mean anything by it. I'm awful. I really don't mean it the way it sounded. I do that…you know…I just, open my mouth and then words start pouring out, and I can't stop until it's just…"

She squeezed her eyes shut, turning away and wondering if it really was time to just call it a night.

Tommy shook his head, resting his hand on her waist.

"You're blushing." He whispered near her ear, "Don't be embarrassed. I had to ask myself the same question, you know. People don't ask, because they think I don't have an answer. Tommy Meryln, consummate good time guy."

Felicity covered her face with the mask again, thinking about how much easier the masquerade made it to imagine she could be the sort of girl that was invited to these things. Not the girl who blurted out tactless comments, and hoped to fade into obscurity. It was a little easier to pretend that she wasn't completely and utterly out of her league. With the mask in place, it was easier to be someone else.

For a moment she wondered, did_ the Hood did that for Oliver_…?

She was just an IT girl. And this was all just because someone told Oliver that she was the best in the building. How was it possible that the most important thing to happen to her in life all came down to chance? Was it really all that…unpredictable?

"It was just…" Felicity sighed, gesturing through the air, and coming up with nothing.

_I'm just an idiot. An idiot who shouldn't drink any champagne, and think silly, insane thoughts._

"Why would I care about some little free clinic for the poor when there is an entire wing at the Starling City Medical Center that's named for the Merlyns?" Tommy asked her, leading her into a quieter, less crowded corner of Verdant.

As they walked through the crowd, Felicity felt her gown swish across the floor, and watched the people they passed. Everyone was beautiful and elegant. Dresses were richly colored, and beautiful. Masks flashed in the low, twinkling light that swirled around them like a greyish mist. Faces were lost and the low sound of the string quartet set an almost mystical feel to the strange night.

She lifted the skirt of her dress—an export from West Side Story that wouldn't at all look out of place in a tango number, with its long, sexy slit up the front of her legs making her feel slightly self-conscious—and swished it to the side with one hand so it wouldn't get caught on the strappy black heels as Tommy brushed a hand across her bare back.

Tommy grabbed two flutes of champagne from a circulating waiter and handed one to Felicity.

"I'm not quite the mystery that people make me out to be." He said, slipping the mask from his face and turning to look at her, before taking a sip of from the flute.

"You aren't what the magazines make you out to be either." Felicity said softly, trying to shrug off her shame. "I don't think that you're just a party loving bad boy. Actually…"

Felicity paused, biting down on her lips and trying to form her thought carefully before she spoke.

"I think you're a nice guy, and that it just gets lost in the shuffle of…hedonism." A slight smile crossed her face as she remembered his apt description of the masquerade.

"Is that a fact, or a leap from your better judgment?" Tommy asked her.

"An observation." Felicity said simply, sipping conservatively at the champagne.

Well, she was doing well so far. Maybe she would survive the night without any mortal embarrassment.

"The free clinic was something my mother believed in." Tommy said, "It was important to her."

Felicity breathed in slowly, as it clicked. _Rebecca Merlyn_. She _had_ known the name.

_You idiot_, she chastised herself. It was just in the paper this week, she remembered now reading and thinking about how sad it was. He'd only been a little boy when she died. It was a really sad story.

"And you raise all this money in her memory," Felicity said with a smile. "That's incredible, Tommy."

"I just supply the liquor." Tommy said, brushing off the platitude. "Well, Oliver is now. But…that's why I care. It mattered to her, the people who relied on it for help mattered to her—and I want it to always matter. I want her name to be synonymous with good. I want people to remember _her_ as good."

His eyes flickered momentarily with annoyance, "Which can be a challenge for anyone who has ever met my father. She was nothing like him, you know."

_It was beautiful_, Felicity thought. She knew it, she knew that he was more than a spoiled billionaire. Maybe he wasn't trying to save the city on a grand scale, become a savior like Oliver…but did a hero make the little gestures any less important? The Hood could wipe out organized crime and the big problems, but if there wasn't anyone—weren't people—on the ground level to do the right thing, would it ever really matter?

Could there ever be any kind of real change in the world without people who when faced with the easy choice, and the right choice, choosing to make the right choice? That was what this city needed more of.

They needed people who cared about the little things, about the people. Tommy had taken something, his money and his popularity and funneled it into…propelling life forward. She admired that, she admired the ability he had to take his reputation and change who he was for the better, to aim for goodness with a world that waited for him to fall.

"It's going to sound…" Felicity shook her head, feeling a blush rise in her cheeks, "Corny, but I think what you're doing is wonderful. People are going to remember that she was a good woman with every act that you do for the better."

Felicity bit down on her lip, "You're really not who I thought you were."

A smile played its way across Tommy's face, "You're exactly who I thought you were—except for one thing."

"What's that?" Felicity's eyebrow's furrowed together in confusion.

"I didn't think that you were the sort of girl who said yes to a guy like me."

"I guess we both had the wrong ideas then." Felicity said, setting the glass on an abandoned table.

Tommy took her hand, "Is a dance the right kind of idea?"

"As long as you're leading." Felicity said, letting him lead her onto the dance floor, and twirl her with a gasp of surprise on her part.

In a brief flash, she considered Oliver. She had supposed he would be here tonight, when she talked to Diggle he had told her that Oliver would certainly be there and to look for him.

"_Try and keep him out of trouble," Diggle told her, "You know how he is at a party. He'll need you."_

She knew, and she was keeping her eye out for him. Maybe if she was lucky he would save her a dance. Not that he needed her for that—Oliver Queen would never be at a loss for attention from women.

There was never knowing though, Oliver could have changed his mind, and found a bad guy in need of an arrow in the chest and forgotten completely about the party by now.

Not that it would stop a girl from hoping.

. . .

"Looking for a treat, sir?"

Oliver begrudged the interruption from the magician's assistant, even when the brunette with her tall hat seemed to obscure his view of the crowd, and he lost Felicity. Finding anyone in this party was close to impossible, like the proverbial needle in a haystack—this sort of distraction was not what he was looking for.

But still he had managed to find her. He certainly wasn't going to lose her now, besides, he'd told Diggle he'd be here to keep an eye on her and make sure she would be just fine.

"_You know," Diggle had said, "She's never played the politics of high society partying. She's a nice girl." _

"_Tommy's a good guy." Even in his annoyance with his friend, he felt the urge to defend him to Digg. As much as Tommy cycled though girls, he never hurt anyone…intentionally. "She'll be fine." _

"_Still, you should keep an eye on her." Diggle said, "Not everyone is on the level. You know it better than anyone." _

"_Don't worry, Digg." Oliver told him, "I don't plan on taking my eyes off of her."_

In the dim purple haze of light, masks bobbed away on faces, leaving most to guess who hid away behind them. Oliver had all but given up on tracking down anyone in the crowd when he caught a glimpse of long blonde hair that had been his nearest hint of Felicity. He'd only been sure that it was her when he'd heard the nervous giggle while she stood in front of the statue that was raised each year to commemorate Tommy's mother.

He could only imagine what wonder she had come out with to devolve into the nervous giggle, the last time he heard that she'd made an illusion to bedding down…with him. Something of that accord.

"I think that you've got the wrong guy." Oliver told the leggy brunette, wondering if the top hat was overkill as he tried to brush her off. "You're looking very charmed though, and I'm sure you and the magician have a great act. You certainly look very convincing. Great hat."

Zatanna's head tilted to the side, a spark of annoyance passing through her eyes,

"_Aren't_ you quite the progressive, I _am_ the magician. Zatanna Zatara. Princess of Prestidigitation."

"Oh. Sorry." Oliver told her, looking around and realizing that wherever Felicity had gone off to, supposedly with Tommy-he'd lost her.

_And offended the scanty clad illusionist, and all in one fell swoop_. Even for him that was pretty impressive.

He was taken aback as she produced a handful of cards, fanning them out in front of him before he even knew that she was there with them. She was quick of hand, if nothing else.

"Maybe you _do_ need a trick." Zatanna told him in a low mumble, with a pitying look cast over him, "Or don't you believe in magic?"

Oliver sighed, lowering his face toward hers. "Really?"

He really just wasn't in the mood to be playing games.

The black mask shifted on his face, and he adjusted it while the magician watched him with a curious eye. God, he hated masks.

"No one likes a skeptic." Zatanna told him, with a wave of her finger. "Don't you know that?"

Great, he would get the philosophical magician. Her brisk analysis and card tricks were the last thing he needed tonight.

He pulled free a card from the middle of the deck, and glanced at it to appease her. _The queen of hearts_, well if nothing else, the night was not short on irony.

"The Queen of Hearts." Zatanna said, her eyes opening wide, almost as if she was surprised herself.

There was a long pause before she spoke again,

"Is it love lost, or a lost love?"

_With a reaction like that, she'd make a very dramatic psychic,_ Oliver thought.

"That's not much of a trick." Oliver told her, "And it's not exactly a treat."

"Hm…" Zatanna shrugged, as she took the card back and slipped it into the pile again. "I suppose that all depends on your perspective, like anything else."

Zatanna turned away from him, and as easily as she had been there one moment she seemed to have been absorbed back into the crowd of party goers. It was with a sense of relief that almost immediately he caught sight of the white Venetian mask that Felicity had been wearing, Tommy pulling her onto the dance floor with a laugh as he twirled her.

_It was my move first_, Oliver thought with a twinge of envy_. I taught him the twirl_. Well, after Laurel taught me, he conceded, though it didn't make him feel any better about how frustrated he was with the entire situation.

He hated the masquerade, the entire idea of hiding the acts of the night behind a façade that you wouldn't be accountable for. Oliver could almost hear Felicity in the back of his mind accusing him of his hypocrisy running rampant.

"_I don't wear a mask," he would remind her._

"_Sure, if you want to be literal about it." Felicity would shoot back at him._

"Are you even trying to have a good time?"

Oliver turned, a retort on the tip of his tongue for more criticism from the stripper magician when he realized that the critique came from a shorter girl, bedecked in an ornate looking silver mask with golden plumes. Even the mask didn't soften the critical eyes that reminded him of his father. The only part that threw him off was the long blonde hair.

"Or is having a good time something that's totally against the new Oliver Code of Conduct?" she asked, gesticulating with her hands as she rolled her eyes.

He was getting it all around tonight. This was just _not_ his night. At least it couldn't get any worse.

"Thea." Oliver sighed, ignoring the bait. "Lose your boyfriend as well as your hair?"

He hardly doubted he could be lucky enough to not have to worry about that kid hanging around his sister anymore. He wasn't that lucky.

Thea swept the long, lace covered skirt of her Latin salsa gown across her feet, and laughed.

"Costumes and masks aren't really his thing. I might save the wig to surprise him though." Thea's eyes twinkled tellingly behind the mask that was tied around her head, and she crossed her arms over the crimson bodice of her gown as she studied him. "Why are you even here if you don't want to be? Mom said you changed your mind last minute. Did Tommy guilt you into it? What are you up to?"

"Guilt didn't really have much to do with it." Oliver told her, studying the partying crowd, and finding it difficult to keep track.

_Keep track of what though? _He asked himself_, you came because you were concerned that Felicity was in over her head with Tommy, you thought that he wouldn't treat her well—and what? Thought you would sweep in and save the day? She's here with him because she wants to._

"I know it's been a long time," Thea told Oliver, leaning into him and nudging him in the side with her elbow, "But this place is filled with single and desperate women, hoping for an excuse to abandon their dates. And you, big brother, as much as you seem to try and forget it, are still Oliver Queen."

"I think I'm on my way out, Gaga." Oliver said, realizing that he couldn't let jealousy get in the way if they both felt a connection and were enjoying themselves.

He couldn't be old Oliver, not anymore.

"Actually it's more Britney than Gaga, but you're obviously making an effort at least," Thea told him, "So I'll let it go."

How generous of her, Oliver thought with a roll of his eyes.

"Aren't you always?" Thea said. "Just because there isn't Laurel for you to watch with a miserable look on your face doesn't mean that there isn't anyone worthy. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Thea gave him a sort of half curtsy.

"Where are you going, Thea?" Oliver called as she started to walk away.

"It's a _party_, Oliver. Just because I'm here to represent our parents' money doesn't mean I can't have a good time…and I intend on having a _very_ good time."

As his sister allowed herself to be swept into the crowd on the dance floor, and he remained where he was, he felt like more of an outsider than ever.

He was inexplicably jealous. Their friendship had been an easy one because there were no outside factors to influence them, and now that Tommy had swept in to impress and draw her in he felt…

He sighed as he caught a glimpse of the mask as they turned on the dance floor. He felt replaceable.

. . .

So it was true, the Hood really was just a man. A part of her had been convinced that he had to be more than _just_ a man...

"But the magic is never wrong," Zatanna murmured to herself, watching Oliver Queen slip through the crowd after talking with some girl.

But…Oliver? He was just the pretty faced playboy that she remembered from when she was a girl. He was a flirt, and nothing but trouble.

There was no denying it, though. She had enchanted the cards, and only the archer could have pulled the queen of hearts from the deck.

It made all the sense in the world when she stopped to think about it. The cast-away trapped on an island for half a decade…solitude could do incredible things to a human. Solitude, having to face the person you really were would either break you or build you into something greater, stronger.

The question remained: Did he kill indiscriminately, wielding his power with absolute strength, or was he doing what needed to be done like she was? The blood on her hands was marginal compared to the amount that would have been spilled if she hadn't done what she had in life.

With a momentary distraction from casting away an annoying suitor, Zatanna wove her way across the floor, and slipped her way onto the stage. The Wizard was here, she could sense Franklin's dark magic, but she needed more than that. He was too strong to be bound by her spells alone for any amount of time—she needed his blood.

Zatanna didn't like the situation, but she'd made this mistake three times now and wasn't going to make it again. Franklin was much more powerful than she was. She wasn't much of a team player, and a spoiled playboy didn't seem much like the help she needed.

But, no…she was being unreasonable. And she was desperate.

With a sigh, and a shake of her head at the oblivious figures, dancing and drinking what could be their last night on earth away, Zatanna swiveled on her heel, pushing through the crowd and throwing the curtain back from the stage and stealing back to formulate her plan.

She didn't need a hero, heroes were superfluous; these people found them everywhere, in this generation of success measured by celebrity of obscenity—well, anyone could be a hero as long as they were willing to pay the price. Her father had thought that he was a hero, wielding his title and his power, and his money with no one to question his actions and now she was left dealing first hand with the fall out of that.

If the archer was just one more man on a power trip, he was the last thing that she needed. She would be better on her own than trying to manage a false hero.

In her experience, a hero could be just as bad as a villain; both were egotists and looking for the end that best suited them. She wasn't quite so narcissistic, she just wanted to clean her family's name and her own conscience, and then try and carry on with her life.

But as much as it killed her to admit it, she didn't know how to do this alone. She needed help.

If the Hood was more than another guy in a silly costume looking to make a name for himself, she finally had a real chance in trapping the Wizard forever and not only fulfilling her obligation to her father to clean up the mess he'd made, but also to start on the path of clearing her family's name for the sins that had been committed in the name of power and magic. She had a chance at reaching the end of this insane journey.

"Ms. Zatara,"

A burly stagehand with some audio equipment approached her, and gestured toward the stage.

"They're ready out there for you, miss."

"Excellent." Zatanna said, taking the earpiece, and feeling the man's eyes studying her body.

Well, at least his thoughts weren't nearly as hideous as others had been. He was innocent enough.

"So uh…is it a trap doors sort of act?" he asked, "What do you do?"

A small smile crossed her face,

"I turn fantasy into reality."

Zatanna turned on her heel and headed back to the stage.

Three hours until midnight, she had to influence the archer, catch the bad guy, and turn a few tricks. It really was all in a night's work for her.

. . .

Their table, at the center of the room was adorned with a crisp white tablecloth and two burning red tapers. It was really rather romantic, Felicity thought. This was as near as she'd ever come to a candle lit dinner.

And how could it get any better than between the two most eligible bachelors in town? Felicity was still a little bit in awe of the fact that not only had Oliver shown his face, he seemed to have the intention of sticking through this night for the long haul.

"Oliver, buddy…" Tommy clapped him on the shoulder, looking happy to see him as they idled around their table, only missing Thea. "You did make it."

Tommy pulled out her chair for her, and Felicity slid into it.

"We'd almost given up on you." Felicity said, leaning toward Oliver as she took his seat as well, glancing up at him with a pointed look in her eyes. "Where have you been all night?"

Actually, she had started to worry that he had suited up and gone out for the night without telling anyone—in his other suit—and her mind had started to go wild with troublesome thoughts. It seemed that there was no end of trouble that Oliver could find, and in her mind he always seemed to be looking for it.

It was no wonder she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in months.

"Well, it is the one night of the year I can come to a party and no one knows I'm here." Oliver said easily, "Although, Thea still managed to track me down, have you all see Britney 2.0?"

"Yeah, the wig was something else. She really went all out." Tommy chuckled, "She's part bloodhound, I think. Tough to shake her when she gets determined."

As the magic act was announced to be starting soon, the dance floor had mostly cleared up and the people were retreating to their tables. Felicity found her attention drifting periodically over to Oliver, still feeling surprised that he was here. She hadn't expected it in the long run.

Then again, it was a weird night altogether. She was dating Tommy, Thea had apparently turned blonde, and Oliver was acting almost social.

"Wait until you see this magician." Tommy said, giving Oliver a pointed look, and laughing.

"Is he good?" Felicity asked.

The last magic act she had seen was less than impressive, but there was no accounting for the magicians who played bar mitzvahs—who were almost always someone's slightly weirdo cousin.

"I met her." Oliver said, with a slight roll of his eyes behind his mask. "Were you blind casting this year Tommy?"

"I was desperate." Tommy said, frowning as he tilted the empty metal basket towards himself that was supposed to hold a bottle of champagne. "And the hits keep on coming."

"Is something wrong?" Felicity asked, feeling a little wave of shyness as Tommy's hand brushed over hers, and she felt Oliver's eyes on them.

"I just have to check on something. Carry on without me," Tommy said, kissing her on the cheek before getting up.

"You're having a good time." Oliver said, leaning toward her as he made his statement a moment after Tommy had left.

_And she had thought they had hit the iceberg of awkward in their relationship before?_ Felicity was at a loss for how to address that. _Of course she was._

"Aren't you?" Felicity asked, turning the question back around to him. "You look great."

Flashing with burning embarrassment, Felicity tried to cover her face and managed to hit herself with the mask. And up until that point, she was doing…well, okay.

"It beats the island, that's for sure." Oliver said, ignoring the moment gracefully.

Felicity turned to look at him, shaking her head and smiling after collecting herself.

"You need to work on your conversation topics. When the rest of us humans are lacking something to say, we usually bring up American Idol."

"What's that?" Oliver asked.

Felicity shook her head, pausing before stating to explain and seeing the teasing smile on Oliver's face.

"I'm just kidding. Simon Cowell was tormenting the sad youth before I was shipwrecked."

"You should work on your sense of humor too." Felicity informed him, glancing the way of the empty seats at their table. "Where's your sister?"

"Doing her best to drive me crazy." Oliver said, "At least some things haven't ever changed."

"I saw her when I came in." Felicity said, "She was alone. She looked gorgeous...and all grown up."

She almost hadn't recognized her between the wig, and the dress that was awkwardly similar to hers. Felicity was just glad that it didn't seem to be a problem.

As she'd expected, Oliver ignored her subtle point.

"She gave me a long lecture about having a good time." Oliver said, "Obviously without her boyfriend, because she didn't bring him. Did you notice?"

"You get this judgy little tone in your voice sometimes." Felicity informed him.

"Hear, hear!" Thea declared in a loud, bubbly tone as she lingered next to the table with a slight breathlessness in her tone, having run across the room—Felicity guessed. "It's about time someone else tells it to him."

"I'd make introductions," Oliver said, "But you both seem to be doing so well on your own, I'd hate to interfere."

Oliver shook his head, looking like he gave up on the entire matter as Thea leaned across the table and offered Felicity her hand.

"Felicity," she said, shaking Thea's hand. "We've met in passing a couple times."

"I remember, usually you're with my brother, and tonight you're with Tommy. It's not nearly as strange as you'd think."

Thea waved her finger at her, "You're always around, aren't you."

"Thea," Oliver said, interjected smoothly. "Felicity is my friend."

Thea stifled a snort, apparently trying to signify something with it as she threw her brother a look.

For a moment, Felicity was confused. She almost thought it was a little bit of a tell-off…

"You look amazing by the way. Apparently you have great taste in dresses." Thea tagged on, joking easily with her. "That mask is incredible too."

"Oh…thank you." Felicity smiled, "I borrowed it from a friend."

And it was a good thing that the Community Players Theatre was doing a show of _Phantom of the Opera,_ and Hannah was a good enough friend to steal from her work for her. When she had first agreed to coming with Tommy it had slipped her mind that no one just has a mask sitting around their apartment.

At least, she didn't.

"Anyways, I just wanted to say not to wait for me, Ollie." Thea said, nudging his arm to draw his attention back to her. "Lucy Kord invited me to sit at her table, with her and her date and they're much more interesting. No offense."

"Thea. Wait." Oliver turned and looked his sister over, as Felicity felt like she'd been swept up into a hurricane—_Hurricane Thea_? She seemed to be the only person who could take unflappable Oliver, and dissemble him and his cool façade.

_Clearly_.

"She's not with Shane, is she?" Oliver asked, stopping her from disappearing off into the party without an answer. "You know how mom feels about him, and I can't disagree."

"Okay, so this one time I'm not going to make a scene and tell you how overbearing you're being, but no. And for the record, he was acquitted, Ollie." Thea reminded him, "He's just some new guy, and he's from out of town. I _think_ she said is name is Franklin."

_Acquitted_. Felicity stifled a chuckle, she liked hanging around Oliver. It was like living in one of those completely crazy soap operas that her grandmother had lived and breathed. She wondered what Shane was acquitted for doing. Whatever it was, well, it couldn't be worse than anything Oliver had been caught doing. She'd heard a rumor that his family paid off some people when he was nineteen because he got really drunk and peed on his arresting officer.

Tommy came back with the bottle of Armand de Brignac, with a smile of success after having dealt with the issue, just as Thea was about to leave, and Oliver had started to fume. Someone needed to break the tension.

Good timing all around, Felicity thought. Oliver in a mood did not make for the best of company.

"Thea, finally you came to join us?" Tommy asked, patting her on her shoulder, then giving her a hug. "We haven't seen you all night. Are you avoiding us?"

"I'd never ditch you, Tommy. But, I am just leaving actually." Thea told him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Great party. It looks amazing."

She turned on her heel, the organza ruffles on the skirt of her dress flouncing along behind her.

"She seemed a little bit drunk, didn't she?" Tommy said, glancing to Oliver for confirmation.

"Uh huh." Oliver nodded his head, "Don't feel too guilty. I think she's a better con than we were at her age."

"Oh." Felicity exclaimed, gesturing to the stage. "I think it's starting."

The magician—suddenly Felicity understood the look that Tommy and Oliver had exchanged while talking about her—appeared in a puff of purple smoke. From behind her, unrolled a huge tarp that read Zatanna Zatara: Mistress of Magic, Princess of Prestidigitation.

"Good evening, Starling City!" Zatanna declared, swiping her arms up over her head.

Felicity let out a gasp of awe as a flock of white doves flushed forward and into the audience.

"Please tell me you are not one of those." Oliver whispered to her.

Even his snippy little attitude was not ruining that fact that this was incredible. She'd seen magic but…

"Oh…" Felicity was amazed as one of the doves landed on their table.

"One of what?" she hissed at Oliver. "Everyone likes magic, Oliver."

Oliver smiled, covering his laugh with his hand. "No, not everyone."

Well, Felicity refused to believe that. "What was life without a little bit of fantasy Oliver?"

"I can't argue with her there." Tommy said, nodding his head in agreement.

"Tonight I can promise you a few surprises, maybe even some thrills, and with any sort of luck, a happy ending too."

"Well, see, there you go." Oliver said, nodding his head toward Felicity. "There's the fantasy right there."

Felicity frowned, Oliver could be a pessimist all he wanted, but she for one had not let go of the idea of a happy ending. Sometimes they came from all sorts of unexpected places—like a vigilante in emerald garb who swooped in to save the day.

. . .

"_Oh_!" Lucy pouted, turning to Thea with a shocked expression on her face as the magician took the stage. "What's this? Where are Penn and Teller? All this money, and we're not even going to see any tricks?"

Well, Thea wasn't entirely surprised. Hot brunettes were sort of Tommy's type. Which was why she was sort of surprised to see him with Ollie's blonde…whatever she was. Thea had given up trying to keep track of what the hell was going on there.

Before Thea could respond to her friend, Franklin interjected, in his smooth British accent.

"I wouldn't be too worried, sweetheart." Franklin said, smoothing back his dark blonde curls with one hand. "I'm sure the night will be rich with magic tonight."

Lucy giggled as Franklin's hand brushed over her arm, and Thea watched with a judgmental eye. When she abandoned her brother and his friends for the night, the detail she had glazed over was that she had been afraid that Lucy's new boyfriend was worse than Shane.

He just seemed strange. Creepy, actually.

Shane might have been a rich presumptuous jerk who made sure the drugs and alcohol ran freely during his parties—she knew her mom suspected he was the one who supplied her with Vertigo—she also knew that Oliver had no idea, if he shared her mom's concerns, she was afraid that Shane might not have needed to worry about making it to nineteen.

The island may have changed her brother—Thea jumped slightly at the loud noise on stage that preceded a purple haze of smoke, and a flush of doves filling the sky over their heads, and rolled her eyes; _God, I hate magicians—_but the one thing that hadn't changed was his overdeveloped protective streak.

"Oh my," Franklin chuckled, "You're jumpy tonight, aren't you?"

"Magicians freak Thea out." Lucy supplied quickly, seeming worried that maybe too much of Franklin's attention was deviating from her to her friend.

_She really, really didn't need to worry, _Thea thought. _Smarmy, British guys weren't her type. _

"Thea, remember when your parents hired that guy for your tenth birthday party, and he made your rabbit disappear and—"

"Yes." Thea said, cutting her off abruptly. "Thank you for the reminder, Lucy."

Then again, if he was some psycho or something she could do worse than to have one less Lucy in her life.

"Come on now," Franklin said, "Not like magic? It puts a little bit of mystery into life. Fantasy…Romance?"

"I don't really like those either." Thea said, looking the guy up and down, hoping to shut him down quickly.

And Franklin was definitely a mystery, every question she'd asked him tonight had somehow been deflected.

"I guess it's just an extension of my dislike for questions left unanswered." Thea told him, waving off the glass of champagne a waiter poured for her.

"Oh Thea, stop being so serious!" Lucy exclaimed, grabbing a glass and drinking it down. "Don't mind her Franklin, she used to be so much more fun."

"I think a little mystery is ever so important." Franklin said, with a rather certain nod of his head. "It makes life interesting."

"So do drugs, but we're not supposed to rely on those, are we?" Thea responded acerbically.

Franklin chuckled, "You are a delight."

"My boyfriend thinks so too." Thea said, feeling uneasy with the way Franklin was looking her over.

He nodded his head, like he was conceding to the understanding between them. Yet, somehow Thea doubted that would be the end of his thinly veiled flirting.

"Well, she's not so bad." Lucy said, with a slightly interested look on her face as she had apparently been the only one of their trio to be paying attention to the show on the stage. "But I would have liked the tigers better."

Thea rolled her eyes, "That's Seigfried and Roy, Luce—not Penn and Teller."

"Oh." Lucy frowned, looking upset for a moment by the knowledge but it only lasted until the smoke on the stage cleared.

Lucy gasped with delight as the clearing haze revealed a small lion cub.

"Is that…?"

Thea had to admit that she was a little impressed, if not a little freaked out by the baby lion on the stage. Was that even safe?

"That's amazing! I'd love one of those!" Lucy squealed, leaning across the table and watching in awe as the magician petted the cub, and he rolled over to have his belly scratched. "Thea! Tommy really outdid himself this year, and I thought it would be lame since he's poor now."

_Yep, Lucy was a sweetheart_. Thea shook her head, still feeling a little bit surprised by the act. _And here she thought Tommy had merely hired a stripper._

"Not nearly…" Franklin murmured, looking rather perturbed with this routine.

"Oh come on now, _Frank_," Thea stifled a chuckle at the disgruntled look on the otherwise impeccably proper façade he wore. "I thought you liked magic. Romance, Mystery…all that stuff."

Thea snorted, _what a tool_.

"_Franklin_. These illusions are a far cry from the magic of my time." He said, "She's a girl trying to fill boots too big for her."

"Oh…kay then." Thea decided to ignore how weird that statement was. "Speaking of you, and your time, your accent that's—"

"European, yes." He interjected. "I've spent a great about of time living throughout Western Europe. I was raised in Brussels."

"Actually, I was going to say it sounded British," Thea said, feeling a little smug at the look of surprise on his face—as a matter of fact, he looked like she had pulled his chair out from underneath him. "Welsh?"

Thea had never been so glad that Walter brought her along on some of those super boring business trips, with his and her mother's insistence that a little bit of culture would do her well.

"You have a good ear." Franklin said. "I didn't expect it."

"People usually underestimate me." Thea informed him, "It's a mistake."

"What a travesty." Franklin murmured.

On the stage, Zatanna brandished her arm, and a wand appeared between her fingers.

"For my next trick, I'm going to need some assistance."

The cub walked around her legs, brushing his head against her calves like a cat.

"Oh, you'll have your moment Simba."

"Oh! Oh! Me!" Lucy nearly jumped out of her chair in excitement, clamoring with dozens of others to be selected.

Thea could hardly handle it, _how ridiculous_. There also was not a chance in hell of her getting up there to be the guinea pig in some parlor trick. On the off chance that it was the same freak show that has resulted in Fluffy going missing for a half hour on her tenth birthday…

Well, she had a hot boyfriend she'd like to surprise with a blonde wig and her other Halloween costume of tight red leather. The real party wasn't going to begin until after this.

"So many eager volunteers." Zatanna said, glancing down to Simba. "What do you think?"

Simba gave a howl that sounded like a sort of sharp meow.

"You're right. I couldn't possibly choose from so many qualified candidates on my own." Zatanna declared, gesturing for Simba to walk on. "I'll have to let him choose, before he falls into a mood, you know how cats are. Go on now, Simba. Select your volunteer, but be nice."

"Aren't you eager to go on stage?" Franklin inquired of Thea, "Or are you worried she'll make you disappear?"

His lips twitched with amusement, and Thea glanced at him with a flash of irritation in her eyes. She'd called it hours ago, he was a class A jerk.

Thea peered over the table like everyone else, watching the small lion prowl around the floor, some people trying to call him to them, others looking a little nervous. She was torn between wondering how safe it was to have a wild animal on the prowl, and the delicate cuteness of him as he brushed past people, poking his nose here and there.

_It was incredible_, she decided. _It really did look like he was looking for someone._

Lucy was getting more excited as the lion came closer, and Thea hoped that if it did choose her friend that she wouldn't make a drunk fool of herself on the stage. She knew better herself than to make a scene at this party, it was always a big deal. She'd never really gotten the point until she'd lost her dad and Oliver.

It was important to Tommy, and he was important to her—so the night was important; hence, why she was trying to keep Lucy in check.

Never mind that, but she could only imagine the lecture her mom would give her for making a scene on a night of charity, where the very best was expected from the Queen family.

The lion brushed past them, and Thea shivered at the fell of his silky fur against her leg, the wet nose on her finger as he walked past and stopped in front of Franklin and sniffed, cocking his head and looking him over. Franklin didn't look happy about it, as he nudged his foot out and the cub went on his way. Lucy looked incredibly unhappy as he went off, and Thea couldn't believe that this guy had actually had the nerve to try and shove off the little lion like that.

_Jerk_!

"We'll have to be patient with him." Zatanna said from the stage, "It's such a big room, and having the right partner is the key to anything, isn't it everyone?"

There was a murmur of agreement from everyone, and Thea leaned back in her chair wondering if lions were like dogs in that way. She remembered that their cook used to tell her and Oliver that dogs could sniff out the bad apples, but Thea had always assumed that was her subtle way of explaining why their dad's mastiff had disliked their idiot cousin Christian.

"I really wanted to…" Lucy pouted, turning to Thea, and flicking her long brown hair behind her shoulder. "This party is getting pretty boring, why don't we take off and see what the scene at Encore is like. Shane is there, so it's going to be a good time at least."

"I thought he was still out of town." Thea asked, "Why isn't he here then?"

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Tommy Merlyn wouldn't let him buy a ticket, and told him that if he sees him anywhere near the club he'd take care of him. I guess Shane is scared of him."

A little smile crossed her face. Like life wasn't challenging enough with one overbearing big brother? For some reason though, she didn't mind it as much when it was Tommy.

"Oh, girls I don't think you need to worry." Franklin said, "I think the party will get much more exciting in no time at all."

"Oh, Franklin's right!" Lucy exclaimed, gesturing as a girl near the stage stood up and followed Simba onto the stage with a round of applause around the room. "They finally chose someone."

"Not just someone." Thea said, realizing that she recognized the blonde woman walking onto the stage. "That's a friend of my brother's."

"Whatever." Lucy said with a sigh, calling over a waiter for another glass of champagne. "The whole thing is probably fixed anyways."

_Probably_… Thea shook her head and stifled a laugh. Well, it was nice to know that some people weren't ever going to change.

Speaking of tricks, she wondered what it was about this girl that was so intriguing that Oliver finally came out to a party. It had to be something special to get him out for one of the biggest society events of the year.

Personally, Thea thought with a shrug, she sort of liked her. She seemed clever, and swift enough to keep Ollie on his toes…and if there was one thing he needed, it was someone to make him accountable.

She just hoped the two of them could work out whatever it was between them without hurting Tommy.

"Oh Thea, stop being so serious!" Lucy exclaimed, brushing off her friend as Thea declined the glass of champagne that Lucy offered her, before grabbing it and drinking it down herself. "Don't mind her Franklin, she used to be so much more fun. Her brother came back from the dead, and her boyfriend is poor."

"I think a little mystery is ever so important." Franklin said, more or less ignoring Lucy. "It makes life interesting."

"My life is plenty interesting enough." Thea retorted, Godknew, the last thing that she needed was more mystery in her already confusing life.

"Oh, girls I don't think you need to worry." Franklin told them as he raised his glass to Lucy, "I think the party will get much more exciting in no time at all."

. . .


End file.
